Wife and Son of Conservative Icon Applaud Obama Stem Cell Decision

Ron and Nancy Reagan applauded President Barack Hussein Obama’s decision to overturn the George W. Bush federal ban on embryonic stem cell research. Nancy gave the following statement:

“I’m very grateful that President Obama has lifted the restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. These new rules will now make it possible for scientists to move forward. I urge researchers to make use of the opportunities that are available to them, and to do all they can to fulfill the promise that stem cell research offers.

Countless people, suffering from many different diseases, stand to benefit from the answers stem cell research can provide. We owe it to ourselves and to our children to do everything in our power to find cures for these diseases – and soon. As I’ve said before, time is short, and life is precious.”

Ron added:

“Yes [I’m] pleased — though, as the New York Times points out, the larger issue of research using embryos is being left to Congress. One point that never seems to be brought up is the distinction between IVF embryos — unique genetic entities created by introducing sperm to egg — and the ’embryos’ created in a lab — a skin cell placed in a donor egg, the nucleus of which has been removed to create a cellular clone of the skin cell donor. Somehow, many members of Congress have been induced to assign greater moral value to the latter. This makes little sense. Just goes to show that scientific illiteracy among elected officials can be problematic.” [emphasis added]